Part 21 (1/2)
”Then you are on guard every day?”
”And every night Yes, sire”
”Monsieur, I cannot allow that--I will have you rest”
”That is very kind, sire; but I will not”
”What do you say?” said the king, who did not at first co of this reply
”I say, sire, that I will not expose myself to the chance of a fault If the devil had a trick to play on me, you understand, sire, as he knows the man hom he has to deal, he would chose the moment when I should not be there My duty and the peace of , sire”
”But such duty will kill you, monsieur”
”Eh! sire, I have performed it for thirty years, and in all France and Navarre there is not a man in better health than I am Moreover, I entreat you, sire, not to trouble yourself aboutthat I a cut short the conversation by a fresh question ”Shall you be here, then, to-?”
”As at present? yes, sire”
The king walked several times up and down his chamber; it was very plain that he burned with a desire to speak, but that he was restrained by sothese evolutions, and, whilst looking at hi his mustache:
”He has not half a croorth of resolution! Parole d'honneur! I would lay a wager he does not speak at all!”
The king continued to walk about, casting frolance at the lieutenant ”He is the very ie of his father,”
continued the latter, in is secret soliloquy, ”he is at once proud, avaricious, and ti stopped ”Lieutenant,” said he
”I a, down below in the salons--'The king's service! His ave me the order, sire”
”I?” ”Yourself”
”Indeed, I did not say a word, esture, by a glance, as intelligibly, as freely, and as clearly as by word of ood servant”
”Your eyes are very penetrating, then, monsieur”
”How is that, sire?”
”Because they see what is not”
”My eyes are good, though, sire, although they have served theirto see, they seldo, they saw that yourto conceal the inclination to yawn, that your majesty looked with eloquent supplications, first to his eminence, and then at her th to the entrance door, and they so thoroughly remarked all I have said, that they saw your etto this effect, sire--'My er hesitate That look was for me I cried out instantly, 'His majesty's musketeers!' And, besides, that was shown to be true, sire, not only by your oing out at once”
The king turned away to sain fixed his lient, so bold, and so firetic profile of the eagle facing the sun ”That is all very well,” said he, after a short silence, during which he endeavored, in vain, tosaid no more, the latter pirouetted on his heels, and took three steps towards the door, , ”He will not speak!